Chargesheet ready in Batla House encounter

Special Cell’s decorated officer Sharma died in the the controversial encounter at flat number L-18,Batla House,on September 19,2008. Two militants — Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid — also died in the encounter,which was the fallout of the September 13 Delhi serial blasts,in which 26 people had died.  

The department has completed the investigations and a chargesheet is going to be filed in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate within a few days,the police said. Shehzad Ahmad alias Pappu (21) will be booked under Sections 302 (murder),307 (attempt to murder),332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty) and the Arms Act along with absconding IM member Ariz Khan alias Junaid.

To nail Shehzad,the police have primarily relied on the statement of six officers of the Special Cell,who were part of the encounter team along with Inspector Sharma. The Crime Branch,which was investigating the case,has collected all the other evidence against Shehzad — statement of forensic experts,laboratory reports of the IM members’ belongings found from the flat and statements of the officers of Uttar Pradesh ATS who caught Shehzad from Azamgarh on February 1.

Shehzad has reportedly confessed to firing at Inspector Sharma and leaving the flat along with Junaid while the exchange of bullets was on between the police and IM’s Mohammad Atif Ameen and Mohammad Sajid.

“His confessional statement is there with the investigation report,” an officer said. “We took him to the flat,the places he visited and showed him photographs of IM members whom he has identified.”

In all,officers say,they recorded the statements of 30 witnesses to complete the chargesheet. Besides,there is the circumstantial evidence,the postmortem report,ballistic report and the statements of doctors of AIIMS.

The only thing the Delhi Police has been unable to trace is the weapon. Officers said Shehzad threw the .32 bore revolver in the Gangnahar near Bulandshahar.

After his escape,Shehzad hid in various places,in Bulandshahr,Aligarh,Lucknow,Jaipur,Mumbai and his native Azamgarh. Shehzad,who was part of Atif Ameen’s module to carry out blasts at various parts in the country,had joined IM on August 28,a few days before the Delhi blasts.

During his interrogation,he reportedly told police that after carrying out the blasts,they did not leave Delhi since they were confident that they would not be caught. Instead,they carried out further reccee of tourist spots in Delhi.

“He had disclosed that he,Atif Ameen,Mohammad Saif,Junaid,Zeeshan,Zia-Ur-Rehman,Mohammad Shakil and other members had visited various restaurants in Connaught Place,South Extension and tourist spots in Delhi to reccee for blasts,” an officer said. “He said they wanted to hit India economically and send a message to tourists that India is not safe.” In March 2009,Shehzad would have gone to Pakistan for arms training if their module had not been busted,he said.